Rugby League

New South Wales overcame Queensland 12-8 in Game 1 of the State of Origin on Wednesday in a desperately close encounter at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

It marks the first time the Blues have won at the stadium since Game 1 of the 2003 series.

Despite going down early in the match, New South Wales managed to wrestle the lead back by half-time and then clung on to record a stunning victory to take the early initiative in the series.

Queensland got off to a flying start as they ran in their first try after just five minutes when Darius Boyd scored in the corner following a cross-field move from the Maroons.

However, the Blues tied things up halfway through the first period when Brett Morris ran in a score against the run of play after clever work from Jarryd Hayne had released the other Morris brother, Josh.

New South Wales took a 6-4 lead with a Trent Hodkinson penalty six minutes later and then made it 10-4 after 34 minutes through Hayne's try. 

The decision for the try had gone upstairs after Hayne had scored after rolling out of a Johnathan Thurston tackle to reach the line, but the score stood.

Thus the challengers went into half-time with a six-point advantage as they looked to make a winning start to the three-match series, which hasn't been won by New South Wales since 2005.

Another Hodkinson penalty conceded by Corey Parker put the Blues more than a score out of reach with a penalty early in the second half, but that would be their final points of the game.

The Maroons piled on the pressure and cut the deficit to four with Boyd's second try in the 56th minute.

Boyd squeezed over in the left corner after the ball went through the Queensland hands to set up a nerve-shredding finish.

It was all Queensland as New South Wales defended desperately to maintain their lead. Boyd so nearly bagged his hat-trick with five minutes to go but he was brilliantly smothered by Morris. 

However, the Blues were able to soak up set after set of Maroons attacks and when the whistle finally blew the celebrations were delirious after an historic win.

New South Wales coach Laurie Daley had reported high morale before the game and that will have been increased a hundred fold after this win, per Michael Carayannis in the Sydney Morning Herald:

The nerves are very good and I feel very confident. The boys have trained really well.

No complaints from our end. We've had a really good build-up. We can move forward and we know it's a big task and a big job in front us, but we'll go out there and do our best.

In three weeks' time, the rivalry will be renewed in Sydney when New South Wales will hope to seal a series victory with a win. 

One of the most renowned fixtures of the Rugby League calendar returns to Australia on Wednesday with Game 1 of this year's State of Origin Series kicking off in Brisbane.

Queensland and New South Wales clash for a 32nd edition of the annual three-part series, in which some of the biggest stars in the National Rugby League will take to the grandest stage known to the national scene.

Ahead of the opening fixture, we provide the essential details for what is likely to once again be a matchup fraught with shuddering collisions and dazzling skills from league stars of the highest order.

Game 1 Viewing Information

Date: Wednesday, May 28

Time: 11 a.m. BST/6 a.m. ET

TV Info: Premier Sports (UK, subscription required), Fox Sports 2 (USA, subscription required)

Live Stream: Premier Player (UK, subscription required) Fox Soccer 2GO (USA, subscription required)

Maroons Key Man: Johnathan Thurston

Playing in his 28th consecutive State of Origin Series fixture, Johnathan Thurston will once again be expected to play the part of puppeteer as Queensland go in search of victory for a ninth successive year.

The Kangaroos star was essential in helping Australia reclaim the Rugby League World Cup in 2013, and his form is just as critical at five-eighth when playing in Maroons colours.

The Courier Mail's Karl deKroo highlights Thurston as one of the faces likely to bear a massive responsibility in turning this Queensland team into champions once again:

The captain of Mal Meninga's side will rely on a strong pack performance to lay the foundations of what's sure to be a bone-splintering faceoff, but it's his boot and construction for the weapons that lie outside him that could tell the tale once again.

Blues Key Man: Jarryd Hayne

New South Wales will need all their available stars glittering at their very best if they're to turn the tide that's gone against them in this series for the last eight years, and Jarryd Hayne bears a heavy load of that responsibility from fullback.

With Queensland counterpart Billy Slater standing on the opposite side of the pitch, there's bound to be an intriguing number of aerial battles between these two in the search to rule the skies, and Hayne will be hoping to make up for lost time after missing the latter two matches of 2013's series.

Sportal breaks down the NRL form of Hayne and Slater coming into this duel:

There's a chance that Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds will display some frailties in a new halfback partnership, so for Hayne to be bringing his very best and easing the burden placed on that pair is vital.

Reynolds and Hodkinson have been a force for the Roosters of late, but the halfback pair are just one of numerous new faces making their way into the Blues setup as New South Wales seek to end eight years of torment this year.

Queensland's line-up is, by contrast, more solidified, experienced and the advantage of having both first and third games at home only puts the fixture further in favour of the Maroons.

Game 1 Prediction: Queensland to win by 12

The Queensland Maroons will be gunning for a ninth consecutive State of Origin Series win, an astonishing run of success. But count on hated rival New South Wales Blues doing all they can to prevent it.

Predictably, the tensions between these two bitter foes have been more than simmering in the last few weeks. Maroons skipper Cameron Smith said that "hate for NSW hasn't gone out the window," per Phil Lutton of the Brisbane Times, (via The Sydney Morning Herald).

Meanwhile, former NSWRFL Premiership coach, and current columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald, Roy Masters, has accused the Queenslanders of using "history to suit themselves," per the Brisbane Times.

One of Rugby League's classic rivalries is certainly well stoked ahead of series play. The series begins on Wednesday, with Brisbane the venue for its first game.

Here are the complete fixtures, dates and times for the 2014 State of Origin Series:

Date	Team	Team	Time	Venue
Wed, 28 May	Queensland Maroons	NSW Blues	8:00 p.m. AEST 11:00 a.m. BST	Suncorp Stadium
Wed, 18 June	NSW Blues	Queensland Maroons	8:00 p.m. AEST 11:00 a.m. BST	ANZ Stadium
Wed, 9 July	Queensland Maroons	NSW Blues	8:00 p.m. AEST 11:00 a.m. BST	Suncorp Stadium

As if their recent run of dominance wasn't enough, having the benefit of playing twice on home soil has to make Queensland the favorites. In fact, it would take a brave person to believe the Maroons won't have the series sewn up before July 9, making the second meeting at Suncorp Stadium a dead rubber.

Here are three predictions for how the series will unfold, including the predicted winner.

The Blues' Ageing Forward Line Will Fail to Break Down the Maroons

New South Wales just doesn't possess the speed and dynamism along its forward line to break down the Maroons. Part of the problem is a willingness to trust ageing bodies to navigate this series.

As NRL.com writer Tony Webeck pointed out, the Blues' forwards are defined by having to look back on their primes, rather than anticipating them:

There are six players in the NSW forward rotation 30 years of age or older, including the team's spiritual leaders in Paul Gallen and Robbie Farah. Beau Scott has earned a recall for the first time since Game Three, 2012 while Ryan Hoffman retains the position he held last year, seven years after making his Origin debut.

Although still highly accomplished first-graders it's hard to believe that Anthony Watmough's or Luke Lewis's best days are ahead of them so the question deserves to be asked as to whether they are the right men to relaunch a new Blues dynasty or simply the men for right now.

The problem with trusting veteran savvy is that the Blues face a Maroons squad that has seen it all before in State of Origin play. As Webeck highlighted: "Origin experience weighs heavily in Queensland's favour to the tune of 233 games to 124."

So leaning on experience is doing the Blues no favours in this series. What New South Wales really needs is some pace to counter the athleticism of Queensland stalwarts such as halves Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston.

Planned Aerial Assault Won't Work for New South Wales

It seems the Blues are determined to unnerve the Maroons. Rather than adopting a methodical approach and recycling the ball, New South Wales will take to the air.

Michael Carayannis of The Sydney Morning Herald stated fans can expect an aerial assault from the Blues. As Carayannis highlights, this approach makes sense given the height in the New Wales squad:

NSW have pinpointed the bomb as their attacking weapon in a bid to rattle the Maroons. Debutant winger Daniel Tupou looms as an obvious target on the Blues' left wing, having swung matches for his club side the Sydney Roosters by soaring high into the air, including terrorising opposite David Williams in last year’s grand final.

In part, Tupou was picked because of his reach, while fellow winger Brett Morris and fullback Jarryd Hayne are among the most-noted leapers in the the NRL. Tupou stands at 195 centimetres, while his opposite Brent Tate is 10 centimetres shorter. Tate, Darius Boyd (185cm) and Billy Slater (178cm) make up one of the smallest back threes in Origin history.

Tupou can certainly cause any team problems in the air. But the Maroons will survive the bombardment, thanks to a stronger than expected performance from their back three.

Full-back Billy Slater and wing Darius Boyd are a smart and solid pairing. The duo perhaps won't even waste time getting into a jumping contest with Tupou.

They can defend space and make sure the Blues don't make ground even after winning the first ball. If their aerial outlet doesn't yield results, a plodding New South Wales team won't be able to exploit spaces when keeping the ball on the ground.

Predicted Series Winner: Queensland Maroons

It will be nine in a row for Queensland. The Maroons have better athletes and greater speed at every level of the team.

The Blues will put up a strong fight, but their lack of dynamism will prove their ultimate undoing.

Manchester's Etihad Stadium played host to this year's Super League Magic Weekend, which saw 14 sides go head-to-head in seven clashes over the weekend. Saturday saw four matches, with the highlight being a clash between defending Super League Champions Wigan Warriors and 2012 Grand Final winners Leeds Rhinos. 

Wakefield Wilcats	12-50	Castleford Tigers	12.30pm BST
Huddersfield Giants	54-16	Bradford Bulls	14.45pm BST
Warrington Wolves	41-24	St Helens	17.00pm BST

Sunday saw the conclusion of the Super League's Magic Weekend with three more matches, and while none would end up being a particularly close affair, the fantastic weather and strong action still made the afternoon a rousing success amongst the fans.

Castleford Tigers 50-12 Wakefield Wildcats

Tigers will move up to third in the Super League standings following an absolute trashing of rivals Wildcats, emphatically ending a two-game losing streak.

Wakefield got the first good chance of the match inside of five minutes with Paul McShane coming dangerously close to scoring, but that would be the only time Wildcats would truly threaten their opponents as they were overrun for most of the afternoon.

Daryl Clark took advantage of bad communication in Wakefield's back line to open the scoring before Justin Carney scored a beautiful try, evading a number of defenders before barging his way into the corner.

Perfect weather conditions meant Tigers could pass the ball almost at will, and their opponents simply couldn't come up with any stops. Jordan Tansey and Michael Shenton both added easy tries before half-time, putting their team up 22-0.

Shenton scored early in the second half to really put this match to bed, taking advantage of a great pass from Mark Sneyd, who put in a dominant performance with numerous assists and two tries of his own in the second half.

Coaching Castleford to their first win in three tries, Daryl Powell expected this match to be much closer, per the BBC:

The scoreline was a blow-out, particularly with the try at the end.

I expected it to be close after looking at Wakefield's last two games. The conditions were made for us and once we get on the front foot we played some superb rugby.

Wakefield got 12 points but defensively, it was a great effort. It continues the consistency of what we have been delivering which was pleasing.

Mark Sneyd is playing really well and he has some quality as a player. We will talk to Salford and see where that goes but he is doing a great job for us.

 As we near the half-way mark of the Super League season, Castleford really needed to break out of their funk in order to keep their position in the top six. A big win over a struggling Wakefield squad was exactly what the club needed, giving the players a much needed boost heading into the next match.

Their rivals are amongst the bottom-feeders in the Superleague, chasing Widnes Vikings by eight points in the chase for the play-offs. Following yet another blowout loss, it seems very unlikely Wildcats will be playing any role of significance later in the year.

Huddersfield Giants 54-16 Bradford Bulls

Sunday's second match was as much of a blowout as the first, with Giants absolutely thrashing Bulls. The Yorkshire Evening Post's Peter Smith thought it unfortunate the last day of the Magic Weekend would play out like this:

Giants came into this match having won four in a row and took a 10-6 lead midway through the first half, before an explosion of tries shocked their opponents.

Nine different players scored for Huddersfield, including half-back Danny Brough, who also added nine conversions. Bradford shockingly took the lead through Danny Addy, but the celebrations were short lived.

A late try from Jodie Broughton made it 24-10 before half-time, before Giants absolutely exploded in the second half. Luke Robinson and Brough were simply too much to handle for Bulls, and in trying to slow the two halves down, the rest of the Huddersfield players took advantage of the space Bulls were now leaving.

Giants are now firmly positioned in the top six and look to be round into form at just the right time as they push for the play-offs. Bradford have won just three matches all year, and like Wakefield, their season appears to be all but over.

Warrington Wolves 41-24 St Helens

Wolves recorded a very important win over second-ranked St Helens, upsetting the favourites 41-24 as they closed the gap with Vikings to just two points.

Sunday's third and final match wasn't an exciting fixture either, with two tries within the first 10 minutes giving Warrington a solid lead to defend. St Helens had to wait for their first points until just before half-time, at which point they were already trailing 18-0.

Rhys Evans and Gene Ormsby stole the show early for last year's Grand Finalists, who never really looked worried as the Saints failed to capitalise on a handful of good chances at the end of the first half.

The second half started with another flurry from Warrington, scoring two tries and two goals withing the first 10 minutes after the re-start, and by the time St Helens started to build some momentum they were down 36-6.

The Saints would mount a furious comeback, closing the gap to 36-24 at one point, but Wolves never really looked like they were in trouble, and a late try from Joel Monaghan effectively ended the match.

St Helens will keep their spot in the top two for now but can't be too excited with the trashing they received from a suddenly surging Warrington squad, who will look to build on the momentum of this match as they make their push for the top six.

Here's all the action from a barnstorming first day of action in Manchester. 

London Broncos 22 - 24 Catalan Dragons 

Catalan Dragons opened the weekend's action with a narrow victory over bottom side London Broncos. The side from the capital have lost all 13 of their ties this season, but could have snatched a draw here had Josh Drinkwater converted his own try at the death. 

As it was, the Dragons recorded their third straight victory at the Etihad over Broncos. Thomas Bosc was instrumental to the French side's cause, converting the four tries in a performance that ultimately steered the Catalans home. 

The game had started brightly for Joe Grima's men who opened the scoring through a Mason Caton-Brown try. The Perpignan side responded through Vincent Duport courtesy of a lofted Bosc kick. Elliott Whitehead grabbed his first of the game for the Catalans soon after, pouncing on the loose ball. 

Ian Ramsdale is pessimistic about Broncos' survival hopes, as he tweeted.

Jeff Lima sent them further ahead with another try, but Broncos rallied and Caton-Brown notched a second score before James Greenwood followed him over the touchline.

But their response lacked momentum and Whitehead responded for the French with his second try ten minutes before the end. There was still time for Drinkwater to cross the line, but the scrum-half missed the chance to send Broncos level when he sent his conversion wide. 

Dragons head coach Laurent Frayssinous was magnanimous in victory following the match, and told the BBC:

We were lucky. Lucky enough to win the game. I don't think we deserved more than them even though we created good opportunities.

We came back to win, I cannot be happy but at least we move forward in the table.

We were smashed by Warrington last week and today we didn't play great but we got the point.

Grima has yet to pick up a point with the Broncos this season, and believes a number of factors contributed to the Etihad defeat, as per BBC Sport:

I can't question the integrity and courageousness in defence, we're giving up so much weight advantage to the opposition and the conditions suited Catalan.

In saying that, we were our own worst enemy. We had a chance to consolidate our field position in that last eight minutes and then they scored.

The penalty count and the errors are a worry because we're a high penalised team and where we are in the table we're not doing ourselves any favours.

 

Widnes Vikings 30 - 24 Salford Red Devils

Widnes Vikings claimed their first Magic Weekend victory with a closely fought victory over the Salford Red Devils. 

Paddy Flynn notched two tries for Widnes, with Jack Owens, Chris Dean, Lloyd White and Rhys Hanbury also adding their names to the scoresheet.

Salford scored though Junior Sa'u, Rangi Chase, Matty Ashurst, Danny Williams and Francis Meli and indeed had led at various points throughout this compelling encounter. 

It was only Flynn's second try that secured victory for the Vikings, and even that left a nail-baiting final few minutes for coach Denis Betts who saw his side survive Salford's final set of six tackles. 

Betts was delighted following the victory, as he told BBC Sport:

There's no question about the character of this team, but to see it coming out in that situation was fantastic.

We lost Danny Craven in the first 30 seconds and then we lost Jon Clarke 15 minutes into the game. We lost all our attacking shape virtually. We were all over the shop attacking-wise.

What you saw today was a really good team effort. I'm really proud of them.

 

Hull KR 38 - 24 Hull FC

It's been a busy weekend for Hull's sports teams, but after Hull City's 3-2 defeat in the FA Cup final, there was at least a guarantee of a Yorkshire victory in this city derby.

And it was Hull KR who emerged victorious on Saturday. Hull FC were swimming against the tide in the second half after Jason Crookes was dismissed for a high tackle.

Ade Gardner and Liam Salter scored two tries for Hull KR with Kevin Larroyer and Josh Hodgson also touching own.

Hull FC responded with tries of their own through Dean Hadley, Jamie Shaul, Danny Houghton and Iafeta Paleaaesina but in truth they were well beaten by their city rivals.

Hull KR coach Craig Sandercock spoke to BBC Sport following the game:

For us it was about the performance today and making sure we did the little things well, and we did that for periods.

We weren't at our best but it's two points and they're like gold in this competition.

I was concerned when they scored some soft tries but I thought if we got decent ball there was a chance to score points.

Liam Salter is in dizzy land at the moment but we don't play until Sunday so he's got time to recover, but he's a tough East Hull lad and he was standing at the end.

Wigan Warriors 18 - 14 Leeds Rhinos

Wigan concluded the Saturday of Magic Weekend with a narrow victory over Leeds, ending a run of seven successive victories for the Rhinos. 

Blake Green and Anthony Gelling made sure that the Warriors were 12-4 up at half-time, with Ryan Hall replying for Leeds.

Fresh from his performance for the Catalan Dragons earlier in the day, Leon Pryce tweeted this:

In what was a stormy encounter, three players were shown yellow cards in the first half. Onee of those, Michael McIlorum crossed to ensure a Wigan victory. Despite a Rhinos response through Carl Ablett and Hall it was not enough to deny Wigan a deserved victory. 

Nevertheless Leeds remain at the head of the table, one point ahead of St Helens, who can go top if they beat Warrington at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow. 

This Saturday will see the Super League once again welcome the Magic Weekend to its schedule, with seven top-flight encounters set to dazzle the Etihad Stadium.

Every team in the division will feature as part of a two-day extravaganza in Manchester, where Leeds Rhinos will hope to maintain their momentum as league leaders, while the rest of Super League's bastions play catch-up.

To ensure not a moment is missed in one of rugby league's finest annual traditions, read on for all the essential viewing details for this weekend's schedule, along with some analysis of the most promising matchups.

Team	VS.	Team	Date	Match Information	Live Stream	TV Info
London Broncos	vs.	Catalans Dragons	May 17	12.30 p.m. BST/7.30 a.m. ET	Sky Go app (subscription required)	Sky Sports 3
Widnes Vikings	vs.	Salford Red Devils	May 17	2.45 p.m. BST/9.45 a.m. ET	Sky Go app (subscription required)	Sky Sports 3
Hull KR	vs.	Hull FC	May 17	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Sky Go app (subscription required)	Sky Sports 3
Wigan Warriors	vs.	Leeds Rhinos	May 17	7.15 p.m. BST/2.15 p.m. ET	Sky Go app (subscription required)	Sky Sports 3
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats	vs.	Castleford Tigers	May 18	12.30 p.m. BST/7.30 a.m. ET	Sky Go app (subscription required)	Sky Sports 1
Huddersfield Giants	vs.	Bradford Bulls	May 18	2.45 p.m. BST/9.45 a.m. ET	Sky Go app (subscription required)	Sky Sports 1
Warrington Wolves	vs.	St. Helens	May 18	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Sky Go app (subscription required)	Sky Sports 1

Key Matchups

Wigan Warriors vs. Leeds Rhinos

Coming to the Etihad Stadium, Shaun Wane's defending champion Wigan Warriors have no chance of surmounting the outfit currently in prime position to strip them of their title, Leeds Rhinos.

However, reducing the five-point gap that the league-leading Rhinos currently boast over the Warriors is of vital significance if the Cherry and Whites are to have their best chances of claiming the most advantageous play-off place possible.

Those hopes have been significantly reduced by a number of injuries in Wane's squad, though, with Total Rugby League's Joe Whitley quoting the Wigan coach as he considers giving youngster Sam Powell a start at nine, with hooker Michael McIlorum potentially switching to loose forward:

Sam’s a body and a tough player, I may put him in and shift Micky Mac to loose forward, that’s one option. We’re absolutely down to the bare bones. But I’m not stressed – I want us to win and genuinely think we’ll be competitive.

Leeds will not be sympathetic in their approach, and a Kevin Sinfield-led outfit of terrific quality should be able to keep their current trajectory afloat on Saturday.

Hull Kingston Rovers vs. Hull FC

It's a big weekend in sport for Hull, who see both of their rugby league namesakes clash in Magic Weekend's derby showdown, while Wembley plays host to the Premier League's City, who face Arsenal in the FA Cup final.

It was Hull KR who triumphed in the tense meeting between these two sides last month, where Craig Hall took on the guise of hero, striking a last-minute drop goal to end the scoring at 21-20 in his team's favour.

Sat level on 10 points apiece in eighth and ninth, respectively, Hull FC and Hull KR are separated by the finest of margins, and after suffering two losses in a row, the Black and Whites' Gareth Ellis is quoted, by Rugby League World, admitting morale is low for the former right now:

It's nigh impossible to pick these two sides apart right now, but whoever can take their opportunities more efficiently on Saturday takes a massive step in distancing themselves from their inner-city rivals.

Warrington Wolves vs. St Helens

The seventh and final fixture of Magic Weekend gives St Helens their chance to claw back Leeds Rhinos' existing lead—or even leapfrog them, depending on how the Warriors fare this Saturday.

Standing in the way of that hope are last year's grand finalists, the Warrington Wolves, who, despite failing to recapture the same majestic form of last season, can still be a threat to second-place St Helens.

Wolves are currently seventh, eight points behind their derby opponents, but what better time to reignite the flame than with a derby meeting against one's closest elite enemies? 

1 - There's something wrong at the John Smith's

Another week, another defeat for Huddersfield, as last season's table-toppers remain unable to rekindle their form of 2013. 

A Thursday night trip to the KC Stadium to face Hull FC was Paul Anderson's men's task last week, and it was a task they spectacularly failed. 

The Huddersfield coach believes his squad are good enough to come out the other side, but the difference between the Giants of 2013 and Giants of 2014 is drastic enough to warrant a bit of worry. 

Hooker Shaun Lunt's post-match tweet: "It's not about how you start the season it's about how you finish it! Nothing won in April…" is the kind of response you'd usually expect to hear from a fan. 

He may well be right, but it certainly isn't an excuse for performing so poorly at the start of the season, given the team's previous record at the business end of the season.

2 - You don't win anything in April

The most obvious of contradictions from point number one, but the sad fact of Super League is that you don't win anything in April—far from it. 

Warrington are suffering from a poor start, highlighted by a home loss to Hull KR—their fourth in eight games so far this season.

But, as Leeds have shown on so many occasions in the past, it's about timing your form at the right end of the season. 

Perhaps the new Super League format might change teams' perceptions on hitting the ground running.

3 - The Saints of old are back

A late fightback from a St Helens team riding on the crest of the wave? It's almost like we're back in the early noughties. 

Friday's clash between Castleford and St Helens was a top-of-the-table encounter that lived up to expectations, with Nathan Brown's side needing a late revival to snatch the two points. 

The Saints got out of trouble with a drop goal in the Challenge Cup last weekend, and they showed good temperament to maintain their 100% record against the Tigers. It's a good sign for them, but a daunting prospect for all the other trophy-chasing sides in Super League.

4 - Wins bring fans

It would appear that French fans can be just as fickle as their English counterparts, if Catalan Dragons' recent crowds are anything to go by.

Their home tie against Huddersfield a few weeks back—when they hadn't won a Super League game in their first six matches—drew in a crowd of just over 6,000. 

Fast forward two weeks, chuck in a couple of wins and a spirited performance at Wigan, and just shy of 10,000 people are packing out the Stade Gilbert Brutus against Widnes.

As an attendant of the aforementioned Giants game, the partisan nature of nearly 10,000 Catalans is a particularly unnerving thought. 

5 - Bulls in need

It was always going to be a tough ask for Bradford to turn around a six-point deduction, but following two wins against fellow strugglers Wakefield and London earlier on in the season, it seemed like they would soon be back in the black. 

However, defeats to Hull FC, Huddersfield, Hull KR, Widnes and Salford mean that Bradford remain in the minus. 

With London seemingly doomed for relegation, the Bulls still have six points to make up in order to catch Catalan and Wakefield, who are joint-third bottom. 

If they're going to avoid dropping into the second-tier, they need points and fast.

Thirty-two became 16 after Round Four of the 2014 Tetley's Challenge Cup came to a conclusion on Sunday, with individual brilliance, controversy and tries galore across the round.

Below, we look at the complete results table from another blockbuster of a round in the Tetley's Challenge Cup, and dive into the match of the round at the John Smith's Stadium, where Huddersfield Giants took on St Helens.

Home	Score	Away
Huddersfield Giants	16-17	St Helens
Wakefield Wildcats	6-60	Leeds Rhinos
Rochdale Hornets	22-28	Leigh Centurions
Batley Bulldogs	10-48	Castleford Tigers
Doncaster	68-18	Hemel Stags
Keighley Cougars	54-28	Barrow Raiders
Featherstone Rovers	66-0	North Wales Crusaders
Hull KR	24-28	Warrington Wolves
Bradford Bulls	60-6	Oldham
Hunslet Hawks	27-10	Workington Town
Halifax	10-34	Widnes Vikings
Swinton Lions	31-28	York City Knights
Sheffield Eagles	70-28	London Skolars
Dewsbury Rams	6-58	Wigan Warriors
Catalan Dragons	40-24	London Broncos
Hull FC	36-37	Salford Red Devils

Huddersfield Giants 16-17 St Helens

The game of the Fourth Round came at the John Smith’s Stadium, as a pulsating affair ended with St Helens controversially earning a place in the last 16 with a 17-16 victory over Huddersfield Giants.

St Helens took the early initiative with tries from Adam Smith and Tom Makinson, but the Giants fought back admirably with Shaun Lunt and Joe Wardle going over to put the hosts 10-8 ahead at half time.

Lunt then added his second try of the match, before the turning point of the match came on 65 minutes when Brett Ferres was handed a red card.

The England forward was rightly dismissed for a spear tackle on Jonny Lomax, as Brad Walter of the Sydney Morning Herald reported via Twitter:

St Helens then clicked into top gear, and turned the game on its head to secure their Fifth Round place in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Makinson crossed the whitewash for his second try of the match shortly after Ferres’ red card, which Luke Walsh converted, and it was the Aussie scrum-half that had the final say in the match with just 60 seconds remaining.

Walsh’s drop goal in the dying embers of the match gave St Helens their 17-16 lead, from which the Giants had no time to recover.

However, the match could so easily have gone the other way, after Danny Brough’s drop goal was incorrectly chalked out just seconds before Walsh’s telling kick.

Following the match, Giants boss Paul Anderson vented his fury after seeing Brough’s kick ruled out during an interview with Neil Barraclough of MailOnline, and said:

“It was absolutely over. It’s just been shown on TV, hasn’t it? My question is, we go to the video referee for every little decision with regards to points-why couldn’t we go for that? We’ve asked the bloke in the van how many times, but when there’s an actual match-deciding moment we don’t bother.”

Huddersfield’s official Twitter feed also showed its frustration after the Giants had dominated until Ferres’ moment of madness:

Super League leaders St Helens haven’t had their hands on silverware since 2008, and need to emerge through a tough fifth-round battle if they’re to end that record this year.

The Saints will take on Leeds Rhinos in the last 16, and will once again need lady luck on their side if they’re to progress on their trophy quest. 

For Huddersfield, though, attention must turn to their Super League form, where they're yet to win at home in 2014, and they'll need to put this result behind them before travelling to Hull FC on 10 April.

Hull FC 36-37 Salford Red Devils

One week removed from a heavy 30-8 defeat at the hands of the same team but a week ago, the Red Devils rallied behind the play of Rangi Chase to knock out last year's finalists Hull City in a thrilling 37-36 win.

A hat-trick try from Francis Meli would force extra time within seconds of the match ending and an expertly taken drop goal by Chase would give the visitors the win as Salford continue their bid for this year's trophy.

It truly was one of the best games of rugby we've seen all year, a tremendous back-and-forth battle that lasted right up until the final kick, and The Hull FC Faithful couldn't believe no cameras were on hand to let the rest of the country enjoy the spectacle:

Both teams were incredibly evenly matched, as Joe Arundel (twice), Jamie Shaul (twice), Fetuli Talanoa and Jordan Ranking scored six tries for the hosts and Meli, Chase, Theo Fages and Junior Sa'u matched said number for the Devils. Jake Mullaney would make all six of his conversions, as would Ben Crooks for Hull.

Crooks could have won it for the hosts but missed his drop goal attempt, allowing Chase to steal the win and the visitors to book their place in Sunday's Round Five draw.

Key in this match was Hull's defense, as the hosts led by 10 points late in the match and still found a way to lose. Speaking to the team's official website, Lee Radford acknowledged his side could have done a better job defending the lead:

We should have defended the lead but it was a case of they score, you score. As a game as a whole, we didn’t make them work hard enough.

We said last week that they fell away a little bit after 25 minutes but we needed to make them work hard for those 25 minutes and we didn’t do that.

It’s a really flat dressing room and I haven’t had to say much after the game. Some of the efforts were really top drawer from some of them tonight and probably enough to win two games, but certain areas of the field are really costing us.

Catalan Dragons 40-24 London Broncos

The hosts easily controlled this game as most of the Broncos' scores came late in the tie and were no more than consolation. Leon Pryce scored first for the Dragons on his way to a Man of the Match performance, defying age and keeping the visiting Broncos winless on the year.

Louis Anderson (twice), Thomas Bosc, Daryl Millard, Antoni Maria and Morgan Escare all scored tries for the Dragons, with Bosc converting six times in total. Denny Solomona, Mason Caton-Brown, Iliess Macani and Nick Slyney made the final scoreline a bit more respectable, while Josh Drinkwater didn't make any of his conversions either.

Drinkwater was surely the best man on the pitch for the Londoners but an early run by the hosts that saw the team score three times within the first 20 minutes effectively ended this tie before it began.

Dewsbury Rams 6-58 Wigan Warriors

The Rams put in a valiant effort against the highly-rated visitors, going into half-time only being down by 12 points, but the hosts faded badly in the second half to give Wigan a comfortable win.

Teenager Joe Burgess scored four tries for the cup holders as the Warriors easily progressed to the next round, with Dan Sarginson, Iain Thornley (twice), Matty Smith, George Williams and Blake Green scoring the remaining tries.

Dale Morton scored the hosts' only try of the match, as the side were nearly outscored by Matty Smith's six conversions. George Williams would add three more as Smith was rested with the match well and truly in the bag.

But despite the huge scoreline, the Championship part-timers received a rousing round of applause as they left the pitch, having kept up with last year's winners for more than a full half of rugby:

Sheffield Eagles 70-28 London Skolars

Championship One club Skolars didn't stand a chance against a powerful Sheffield side that ran in 12 total tries, booking their place in the next round in emphatic fashion.

As this fan pointed out, the hosts almost looked like they were trying to beat a spread:

Jack Blagbrough scored a hat-trick and Michael Knowles, Misi Taulapapa, James Davey, Quentin Laulu-Togagae (twice), Loto Tagaloa, Jordan Burke, Pat Walker and Matt Garside all contributed to the romp, with Dominic Brambani missing one of his conversions.

Courtney Davies, Louis Robinson, Martyn Smith (twice) and Lloyd O'Connor scored for the visitors, as Saturday's match proved to be a huge mismatch from the very first whistle.

The Tetley's Challenge Cup will continue on Sunday with 12 fourth-round fixtures still to be played.

With the introduction of the 14 Super League clubs, the fourth round of the Challenge Cup is where the action really starts to enter its most intense stages.

Though the vast majority of those top-flight sides don't take to the pitch until Sunday, Friday provided fans with a couple of high-scoring fixtures which didn't fail to entertain. 

The Catalan Dragons and defending champions Wigan Warriors have booked their places in the next stage of the competition, beating the London Broncos and Dewsbury Rams respectively, while the Salford Red Devils marched past Hull FC on Thursday.

Read on for a brief recap of Friday's fixtures, along with some more in-depth analysis of who impressed most.

Catalan Dragons 40-24 London Broncos

The London Broncos managed to maintain their Super League status on a slight technicality last season, but making their way to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup provided the club with one major positive in their season.

No such luck will be had this time around, though, as the Catalan Dragons edged out what was a close affair at times.

With Friday's win, the Dragons now boast a nine-match winning streak against the Broncos, this being the first-ever meeting between the two teams in Challenge Cup competition.

Louis Anderson scored twice for the Catalan hosts at Stade Gilbert Brutus, with Leon Pryce, Thomas Bosc, Daryl Millard, Antoni Maria and Morgan Escare also crossing the whitewash.

Denny Solomona, Mason Caton-Brown, Iliess Macani and Nick Slyney scored to ensure that a second-half comeback at least looked like it was on the cards, but Bosc's boot also helped in securing the Dragons a semi-final berth, notching six kicks in total.

Dewsbury Rams 6-58 Wigan Warriors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfPQkBdhomM

Joe Burgess was the man of the moment at the Tetley's Stadium, running in no less than four tries as Wigan hit the ground running in their bid to win back-to-back Challenge Cup trophies.

The 19-year-old was in flamboyant form as the Dewsbury Rams were exposed as insufficient opposition against their Super League superiors, Shaun Wane's side dotting down 10 times in total en route to a 58-6 win.

The official Challenge Cup Twitter account made sure to point out exactly how impressive the Warriors were against Championship opposition:

Dale Morton managed to contribute a consolation try for the hosts, but it was one-way traffic as Matty Smith's six scores from the tee ensured Wigan's scoring habits kept ticking over.

Averaging a try every eight minutes so far in their campaign, Wigan will find it difficult to maintain such prolific standards in the next round.

The Rugby League Challenge Cup kicks back into action this weekend with a full programme of matches taking place.

Thursday saw the first of the ties take place as Salford Red Devils edged Hull FC out of the competition by 37-36. The game was won by a golden-point drop goal from Rangi Chase who stole the victory from last season's finalists.

Friday also saw two other matches take place.

London Broncos were knocked out at the hands of a rampant Catalan Dragons team, who ran home seven tries to take the match 40-24.

And the imperious Wigan Warriors also advanced as they smashed Dewsbury Rams by a convincing 58-6. Joe Burgess ran home four tries for the Warriors.

Here is the full list of Sunday's scheduled matches and TV/live stream info:

Stream: BBC iPlayer

Fixture	Time (BST)	TV	Stream
Batley v Castleford Tigers	2 p.m.
Bradford Bulls v Oldham	2 p.m.
Catalan Dragons v London Broncos	40-24
Dewsbury v Wigan Warriors	6-58
Doncaster v Hemel Stags	2 p.m.
Featherstone v North Wales Crusaders	2 p.m.
Halifax v Widnes Vikings	2 p.m.
Hull FC v Salford Red Devils	36-37
Hull KR v Warrington Wolves	2 p.m.
Hunslet v Workington	2 p.m.
Keighley v Barrow	2 p.m.
Rochdale v Leigh	2 p.m.
Sheffield v London Skolars	70-28
Swindon v York	2 p.m.
Wakefield Wildcats v Leeds Rhinos	2 p.m.
Huddersfield Giants v St Helens	2:15 p.m.	BBC2 HD	iPlayer

Hard Times For Huddersfield

Sunday's biggest match sees a repeat of the 2006 Challenge Cup final as St Helens visit Huddersfield.

The match saw St Helens win 42-12 as they went on to claim a historic domestic treble, per BBC Sport. However, the Giants gained a modicum of revenge some three years later, knocking the Saints out of the competition at the semi-final stage.

The Giants go into the match looking to find some kind of improved form after a poor start to this campaign. 

After the League Leaders Shield success of last year, the club have only managed to be victorious in two of their seven games this term.

But head coach Paul Anderson has professed that there is not a lot wrong with his side at present. Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, via BBC Sport, he said:

We know where we are at and we're probably victims of our own success. We've got to make sure that we keep the ball, and if we do give it away, it's on their try line and not ours. Last week we put in around 400 tackles and three-quarters of those were in our half. That just robs you of energy.

The Giants' official Twitter account also quoted Anderson about his team's chances in the competition and the excitement he feels:

They tweeted:

Saints On A Roll

In stark contrast to their opponents, St Helens are flying after a perfect start. They have won all seven of their opening matches this year and lead the Super League.

They will be the favourites going into the match, but anything can happen when considering the romance of the cup.

Saints' coach Nathan Brown spoke with BBC Radio Merseyside about his team's opponents and warned against complacency.

BBC Sport quote Brown as saying:

They've probably been a bit up and down this year by the standards they've set themselves, but you can only prepare for what they're capable of. We saw that against Leeds and Wigan, and they're probably the two teams that are at the forefront of the competition.

I know better than anyone how good their players are. A number of them have progressed to being England internationals, so we know what they're capable of.

St Helens are on a mighty charge at present, and it is difficult to see where this Huddersfield team can hurt them. The Saints have only conceded 96 points in the Super League this season, per BBC Sport, and defensively look solid. 

They seem comfortably to have the ability to defeat any team that challenges them in 2014. 

On the other hand, the Giants have conceded 147 points already this season, and if they meet their opponents in rampant mood, they could be destroyed and beaten in double-quick time.

With Saints' centre Thomas Makinson in electric form, St Helens will feel they have the tools to progress. Makinson is the top scorer in Super League, per superleague.co.uk, and he will be looking to improve his overall statistics further in the Challenge Cup. 

Luke Walsh is also the top kicker in the league for St Helens, and the extra points he provides may make this too big of a task for a Huddersfield team very short on confidence and drive. 

But Anderson will hope that Sunday is the day his team's season truly commences, and the scalp of St Helens would be one of the most prized in domestic rugby league.

The Tetley’s Challenge Cup fourth round came to a close on Sunday, with dreams of silverware destroyed across the nation as 32 teams became 16 in rugby league’s oldest knockout competition.

With last-gasp victories and thrashings across the round, the Tetley’s Challenge Cup has given us the best drama that rugby league has to offer. As we approach the climax of the competition, that drama is set to continue.

Super League’s elite breezed through the round, setting up some interesting encounters in the last 16, as shown below.

Wigan Warriors	vs.	Hunslet Hawks
Leigh Centurions	vs.	Featherstone Rovers
Leeds Rhinos	vs.	St Helens
Warrington Wolves	vs.	Doncaster
Salford Red Devils	vs.	Widnes Vikings
Bradford Bulls	vs.	Catalan Dragons
Swinton Lions	vs.	Keighley Cougars
Castleford Tigers	vs.	Sheffield Eagles

The competitions lowest-placed team, Oldham Roughyeds, saw their Challenge Cup journey come to an end at the hands of Super League strugglers Bradford Bulls, as the club’s official Twitter feed reported:

Luke Gale stole the show at the Odsal Stadium with a 28-point haul in a match that Oldham never expected anything from—sitting two tiers below the Bulls in Championship 1.

Gale then took to Twitter to laud the performance of his side, and look forward to a fifth-round tie against Catalan Dragons:

The scrum-half was one of eight try scorers for Bradford, with Brett Kearney, Elliot Kear, Adam O’Brien, Danny Addy, Adam Henry, Jamie Foster and Dale Ferguson all going over.

Kenny Hughes crossed the whitewash for Oldham to give the travelling fans something to cheer about, but it was as one-sided an encounter as the Challenge Cup is likely to see this season.

Oldham coach Scott Taylor spoke to BBC Sport after his side’s brave performance at the Odsal, and was full of praise for the team:

The game itself was always going to finish with that kind of scoreline but the effort was outstanding and some of the stuff we did with the ball was very good. I wanted them to go and test themselves against a Super League side and enjoy it and that's what they did.

Elsewhere, there was a controversial win for St Helens away at Huddersfield Giants, with the Giants’ official Twitter feed showing the club’s frustration:

Danny Brough had a perfectly good drop goal ruled out late on, before Luke Walsh’s late kick put Saints in the fifth-round draw.

There were also wins for Leeds Rhinos, Leigh Centurions, Castleford Tigers, Doncaster, Keighley Cougars, Featherstone Rovers, Warrington Wolves, Hunslet Hawks, Widnes Vikings and Swinton Lions.

The Challenge Cup holders Wigan will take on Hunslet in the last 16, and the Warriors are well on course for back-to-back titles if their performances continue in the same vein.

Leeds Rhinos vs. St Helens is the pick of the fifth round, and Saints coach Nathan Brown said he’s looking forward to it, according to Ian Laybourn of the Daily Mail:

“At the end of the day you’ve got to beat them to get there. We’ve played a top side today [Huddersfield] and going to Leeds will be another great challenge for us.”

The Challenge Cup has already thrown up some hard-hitting, thrilling encounters, and as we approach the winter of the competition, there will undoubtedly be more to come.

Saturday Recap

Saturday saw one more match in the 2014 Tetley's Challenge Cup's fourth round, as the highly favoured Sheffield Eagles overcame a sloppy first half to record a dominant 70-28 win over London Skolars.

The hosts scored two tries withing the first ten minutes of the match via Michael Knowles and Misi Taulapapa, and further scores from Dominic Brambani and James Davey seemed to seal Skolars' fate early. 

But Courtney Davies would score a try for the visitors within minutes of Brambani's score, as the Londoners started to grow into the match. Jack Blagbrough's score was immediately answered by Louis Robinson as the visitors looked hell-bent on preserving the 16-point gap. But a pair of late Brambani-goals wasn't enough to cope with a try from Quentin Lauulu-Togagae, as the score at the half was 30-12.

The second half further illustrated that gap, and two tries by Martin Smith for the visitors were of little consolation as Eagles kept scoring at an almost impossible rate. One fan figured the team was looking to end the game with a unique difference in points:

Brambani would finish with 11 goals and Balgborough would score two more tries as the hosts embarrassed their opponents by putting 70 points up on the board. Lauulu-Togagae, Loto Tagaloa, Jordan Burke, Pat Walker and Matt Garside all got their names on the score-sheet as well, and a late score from Lloyd O'Connor finalised the 70-28 finish.

The comfortable win has the Eagles advancing to Round Five, with the draw to be made after the remaining fourth-round ties have finished.

The Challenge cup will resume on Sunday with 12 more matches.

The 2014 Tetley's Challenge Cup's fourth round continued on Saturday with two more matches, as the London Broncos fell to the Catalan Dragons 40-24 before the Wigan Warriors pulled away in the second half in their 58-6 win over Dewsbury Rams.

The Broncos had lost their first seven Super League fixtures and were hoping for a good result against a Dragons squad that was similarly struggling, but the French hosts never truly allowed the Londoners to build any sort of rhythm an two early tries from Leon Pryce and Louis Anderson gave Dragons an early lead the team never relinquished.

Catalan had won their last eight meetings with the Broncos and easily made it nine in a row in their first Challenge Cup meeting, despite solid play from the visitors late in the first half. Thomas Bosc's try effectively ended any hopes of a comeback, and David Solomona's score a few minutes later was no more than a consolation prize.

The hosts scored several quick tries early in the second half and the match looked to be getting out of hand for Broncos, but several late scores gave the visitors a more respectable scoreline to go home with, as little comfort as that may be.

Daryl Millard, Antoni Maria, Morgan Escare and the inevitable Anderson all scored for the hosts in the second half, while Mason Caton-Brown, Ilies Macani and Nick Slyney provided the points for Broncos.

Dewsbury Rams hosted highly favoured Wigan Warriors looking for the upset and put forth a valliant first-half effort, but the visitors dominated the second half on their way to a big 58-6 win. Joe Burgess stole the show with four tries on the night, including the first two early in the match, but Dewsbury dug in and kept things close.

A score from Dale Morton early in the second gave the hosts hope, but the defending champions used their wealth of experience to keep things under control, and Burgess' third try of the match opened the floodgates.

Dan Sarginson, Iain Thornley, Matty Smith, George Williams and Blake Green all got on the scoreboard to set up a final scoreline that was overly harsh on an overmatched Rams squad that gave everything it could. As reported by the Challenge Cup's official Twitter acount, the fans treated their team to a well-deserved applause at the conclusion of the match:

With the wins, both teams can now look forward to Sunday's fifth-round draw which will take place after the remaining 13 Challenge Cup ties have been played out.

Play will resume on Saturday at 2. p.m. BST as Sheffield Eagles take on London Skolars, with the rest of the matches being played on Sunday, including the highly anticipated matchup between Huddersfield Giants and St Helens.

The fourth round of the Tetley's Challenge Cup began on Thursday evening as the Salford Red Devils travelled to Hull FC.

It was a repeat of the Super League fixture from just a week beforehand when the visitors had been blown away by the power of the home side. Red Devils coach Brian Noble had said after that game, per BBC Sport, "I can never guarantee the result at a place like this, but I certainly expect a whole lot better than that."

He certainly did get a lot better than that on Thursday night, in a match that was a magnificent advert for English rugby.

As so often with cup matches, the nature of a knockout competition brings the best out of both sides. So it proved Thursday as the Red Devils knocked out last year's beaten finalists in "Golden Point" extra time by a score of 37-36.

Fixture	Date	Time
Catalan Dragons vs. London Broncos	Friday, April 4	7:30 p.m. BST/2:30 pm. ET
Dewsbury vs. Wigan Warriors	Friday, April 4	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET
Sheffield vs. London Skolars	Saturday, April 5	2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET
Batley vs. Castleford Tigers	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Bradford Bulls vs. Oldham	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Doncaster vs. Hemel Stags	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Featherstone vs. North Wales Crusaders	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Halifax vs. Widnes Vikings	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Hull KR vs. Warrington Wolves	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Hunslet vs. Workington	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Keighley vs. Barrow	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Rochdale vs. Leigh	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Swinton vs. York	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Wakefield Wildcats vs. Leeds Rhinos	Sunday, April 6	2 p.m. BST/9 p.m. ET
Huddersfield Giants vs. St. Helens	Sunday, April 6	2:15 p.m. BST/9:15 a.m. ET

Mark Goundrill noted that the locals had turned out in droves for the match, perhaps in expectation of another relatively easy home win:

The signs were ominous for Noble and the travelling Salford army once Joe Arundel had slid over in the corner with three minutes on the clock.

In truth, he should never have been able to ground the ball, but after displaying his athleticism to get between three covering Salford defenders, he deserved the score.

With Ben Crooks nailing the conversion from way out on the touchline, Noble might have been forgiven for thinking that another long night was in store.

An immediate riposte was required, and that is exactly what the visitors provided. Man-of-the-match Rangi Chase drew in the covering Hull defenders and dispatched a beautiful inch-perfect long-range pass to Francis Meli, who slid over the try line.

Jake Mullaney needed to replicate Crooks' excellence with the boot, and up to the challenge, he levelled the scores. Game on.

Within two minutes the game had turned completely on its head, Chase again the architect as he ripped through a static Hull defence. The little magician had struck, and with 11 minutes played, we had a game on our hands as the away side edged in front at 10-6.

Noble's more robust pack were holding their own in the heat of battle, and this was turning into a contest for the purist, even at such an early stage of proceedings.

As the game ebbed and flowed, and six tackles were exchanged, Hull tried their luck with a high punt.

Meli inexplicably watched as Arundel gathered the gift and went over. In hindsight, the Salford player will feel hugely embarrassed with a lack of contribution, and it's a wonder Noble didn't haul him off at that point.

Thankfully he didn't, because before half-time the Chase-Meli double act were at it again.

Weaving inside, Chase sold the dummy and a kick right into the corner fell to the gleeful Meli for his second try of the night.

Mullaney was hitting all the right notes with the conversions, and as we approached half-time, Salford were in the ascendency.

That was until Mullaney knocked on by his own try line, gifting a score to the home side. It was 16-18 at half-time in favour of the visitors, who certainly weren't there to make up the numbers this time.

Yet, within two-and-a-half minutes of the restart, the pendulum had swung again, great hands from Fetuli Talanoa taking him clear. A quick dart and a dash from Jordan Rankin and Hull were up by 10 points, Crooks continuing to kick everything.

Just as it seemed Hull were walking away with the match, Salford came right back into proceedings again, this time courtesy of Theo Fages. Junior Sa'u sprinted away for another score for the away side in a game that was turning into champagne rugby. You just couldn't take your eyes off it for a moment.

Jamie Shaul ensured a grandstand finish as his tries put the home side back in pole position for a fifth-round berth, but the visitors would not let it go.

Chief protagonist in one final monumental effort was Chase. His work ethic was outstanding throughout. The Kiwi simply ran the show for his side. 

Deep into the last minute, Chase again worked the ball out wide to Meli to run in the score, again right on the line. It left Mullaney to convert from the touchline to take the game to golden point extra time.

Unbelievably, as the horn sounded, the ball sailed through the posts: 36-36.

Adam Beesley wanted to know why the game wasn't televised:

The first action of any note in that extra-time period was what looked like a nasty injury to Arundel, having gone up to collect a high ball from Chase. Although the stretcher came on for five minutes, Arundel was able to gingerly walk off but was clearly unable to play any extra part.

As each set of forwards went hunting for the extra point, Crooks' hands let him down at the crucial moment, and he dropped and knocked on.

It gave the away side a glorious opportunity to win the match, just eight metres out.

As the ball was worked for the drop goal, who else should get the opportunity to seal the game with the winning points? Chase yet again in the right place at the right time to win the game for Salford in one of the best games seen in these parts for years.

The contrast in the two Salford performances just a week apart is marked, and Noble now has something to work with.

In Chase, he has a player with the X-factor. A forager who makes things happen. If Salford are going to use this game as a platform, then their play has to be built around the kiwi.

Next up in the Super League are the Bradford Bulls, who occupy bottom place in the table, per SuperLeague.co.uk. Another win could see them rise as high as fifth in the table and push on from here.